[REPORT]

SUCCESS FOR THE “WEAR & LOCK” CAMPAIGN

Effectiveness evaluation highlights positive results of the Integrated Helmet Campaign

ACEM’s ‘Wear and Lock’ Campaign launched in April has proven to be effective. The final assessment of this pilot project involving three national associations (Anesdor, Ancma and Rai) shows that the young PTW riders responded well to the message of a better use of helmets.
Correct helmet wearing is important as a helmet can reduce the risk of a fatality of up to 50% (ETSC). World Bank and World Health Organisation figures show that head injuries are responsible for about 75% of deaths among motorized two-wheeler users.
ACEM’s analysis on helmet wearing indicated that there is evidence that a share of riders do not properly wear or fasten the helmet (eg. size, position, type), or do not wear a helmet at all, although this is a legal requirement throughout the EU27.
The Integrated ‘Wear and Lock’ Campaign consisted of 3 pilots aiming at increasing awareness on correct helmet wearing, thus contributing to road safety.
The pilot campaigns were an ACEM initiative following thorough ACEM analysis on helmet use in a number of regions and reports from the European Commission in its Mid Term Review of the Road Safety Action Plan (2006).

The ‘Wear & Lock’ campaign was launched during the 2007 Road Safety Week in April. It involved national, regional and local authorities and police forces as well as schools and dealership organisations.

The project involved the use of television broadcast, information leaflets and billboards. Schools  participated to the campaign with dedicated classroom education and with the dissemination of information material. National, regional and local authorities and police forces, as contributing partners, have been performing dedicated helmet wearing monitoring and enforcement.
The key messages that were conveyed to the PTW riders were:

The campaign took a different form in each of the involved regions where it was launched. In Sicily ANCMA chose a popular television journalist, Valerio Staffelli, who endorsed the use of helmets and put across the message on billboards, local TV, internet, an also through mobile telephone messaging. In The Netherlands RAI chose to partner up with TMF, a TV broadcaster that targets the young segment, and aired a series of shows on helmet safety called “Scoots & Helmet” attracting more audience than initially targeted. Finally, ANESDOR for Spain’s campaign resorted to a traditional printed press reaching an estimated 518.000 riders (PTW park = 4.000.000). The Wear & Lock logo appeared on several magazines targeting a wide variety of PTW riders. The logo was placed on 51% of advertisments appearing in the specialised press.

Evaluation indicates that respondents who were exposed to the campaign are more aware on the benefits of helmets, on correct helmet wearing, on the importance of chinstrap, and generally on road safety issues.

ACEM will continue to build on the four pillars of prevention, enforcement, education and icon-branding for future campaigns dedicated to the proper use of helmets. The positive results of the “Wear and Lock Campaign” will serve as a guideline for possible further actions by the industry and other stakeholders in similar projects.